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Old 10-18-2014, 01:34 PM   #161
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Keep that thumb tucked in while cranking, Andrew.

About the spare tire: trailer design is one game in which a spare is far better than a strike.

About those temporary holes: you actually may be onto something with those long, narrow front slits. Do you see how they look like eyes on the trailer? It looks really cool that way! I don't know if you are designing a shield for the front window, but if you are, you should paint or apply vinyl on the shield to approximate this look! You already have a nose cone planned. Eyes, nose... this could look really interesting.
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Old 10-18-2014, 04:57 PM   #162
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A link to an old article, but probably still valid. Add some other sports cars, too...
New cars sold without spare tires: Automakers sell more cars without spare tires - Los Angeles Times
Everything from Hyundais to BMWs. I'll look around and see if I see something more current. I remember one in 6 or one in 7 cars had no spare, or a charge for a spare as an option.
I'm not saying it's a good idea. I don't like it either. Really was a huge hassle for my SIL, and I felt very bad for her. Her daughter had never had a flat, and never even thought about it. She had no idea till she was stuck on a desolate stretch of highway, with bad cell phone service, alone.
I know new tire technology is a lot better than the old days, when my dad wouldn't let me drive the truck without knowing how to change a flat, but I also know I wouldn't like to be on a lonely road with no spare when one of the new tech tire picks up a nail and blows out.
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Old 10-18-2014, 05:04 PM   #163
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Back to the original thread, I love the look of the Nest. Very nice. The colors are gel coat, not paint?
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Old 10-18-2014, 05:51 PM   #164
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Yes, gel coat, though we are experimenting with color options right now. For those that want it, we hope to offer tow vehicle color matching as an option, but that necessitates a paint job.
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Old 10-22-2014, 07:43 PM   #165
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Building continues... Our first "test" unit now has the major shell components "glued" together. And as you can see, the axle/wheel assembly and towing delta have also been bolted to the cabin.

The trailer as you see it now weighs 860lbs.

FG components still to come are the nosecone, wheel flares and entry door.
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Old 10-22-2014, 10:39 PM   #166
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Smile Spare Tire

A couple of tire stories:

A Studebaker test track. One test was a grade. The car wouldn't go up the grade unless the spare tire was in place. Take out the spare and the rear tires slipped.

My first car was a 1959 Triumph TR10 Estate Wagon. It had the best spare tire storage I have ever seen. The rear had a door and when opened you saw the cargo deck for your stuff and below the deck a pocket for the spare. It was out of the way, easily accessible without having to unload the cargo, and stayed clean! It sure beat my 1977 Jeep Cherokee with the tire underneath and filthy like you wouldn't believe, if the mechanism for lowering it worked!

Maybe the Nest could incorporate a step and spare tire pocket behind the entrance door.
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Old 10-23-2014, 04:42 AM   #167
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That prototype is looking very nice indeed. I probably missed or forgot it, but have you announced a "target" gross weight? At the current weight of 860# stripped, do you still expect to make it? I'm guessing that with the heavily layered and reinforced lower "tub" you have a very stable package right now with the center of gravity almost down at the axle level. It should tow like a dream.

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Old 10-23-2014, 05:41 AM   #168
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Robert,
I love your attention to details, like the door hinges!!
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Old 10-23-2014, 07:00 AM   #169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Johans View Post
Building continues... Our first "test" unit now has the major shell components "glued" together. And as you can see, the axle/wheel assembly and towing delta have also been bolted to the cabin. The trailer as you see it now weighs 860lbs. FG components still to come are the nosecone, wheel flares and entry door.
Robert, it is looking good! I do have a question about the "towing delta" and attachment to the structure. I have noticed a condition these past few months towing my old, but new to me Scamp 16. There seems to be a tendency of this single axle trailer to “bounce” or rock the back of the tow vehicle. I have noticed it particularly in some concrete highway conditions with regular joints in the pavement that sets up a harmonic bouncing condition that has to cause considerable stress to the towing delta or what I would call the “A” frame area of the trailer. This manifests itself in the form of cracks at about the point in the frame where it goes under the front shell of the Scamp, at least on mine it did. I wonder what steps you have taken to address this, if any. Things like attachment of the towing delta to stiffened points of the structural body, increasing the gauge of the tube steel used in the towing delta, etc. This may actually be less of a concern given the design and construction of the Nest, there may naturally be less flex in this area.
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Old 10-23-2014, 03:07 PM   #170
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I think this engineering decision to not have a steel or aluminum chassis is very problematic. Regardless of computer models show this type of construction is OK, it will be interesting to see the results from some road testing. Does anyone build a trailer this way?


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Old 10-23-2014, 04:06 PM   #171
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Ron, Robert mentioned the wiki, it's a good starting point to read up on the history.
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Old 10-23-2014, 04:48 PM   #172
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As someone who likes a lot of light, I like all the windows in the Nest, especially the big one in front. My only quibble would be that has to be some way to protect this wide span from rocks and other road hazards while towing. Where I live in Colorado, dings and cracks in our windshields are quite common. And this isn't a dirt road problem, it happens on highways everywhere.
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Old 10-23-2014, 05:16 PM   #173
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The hot rod folks clear wrap their cars, the front windshield section is a strong hardened acrylic. Might be an idea. One Youtube example is
"Wrapping Jay's McLaren P1 - Jay Leno's Garage"
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Old 10-23-2014, 05:55 PM   #174
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This sure is a fascinating thread. I agree with Tim, (post 169) and and Ron (170), the road stress is something that is always hard to predict and stuff into the modelling software. I hope the boys beat the living daylight out of the test bed and learn as much as possible. Thanks to their use of CAD CAM, they already eliminated any chance of wheel rub! I would recommend the sixteen miles of of access road to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, or the 500 miles of gravel and rock on the Trans Labrador Highway, and the I80 across Illinois or Nebraska (not sure which is the one), that was recently "paved" with concrete and has those horrible waves (bumps) that Tim mentioned. Have some fun! Also, with those kinds of travels in mind, I am thinking of an aftermarket air deflector mounted on top, to keep dust from clinging to the back side and door. It might even reduce the air drag.
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Old 10-23-2014, 06:58 PM   #175
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Thanks for your input, gents.

TWolf: I would guess that the action/reaction between tow and trailer varies widely from one set of conditions to the next. Smarter guys than I can weigh in on how size, weight, load, suspension, etc. might add stress to any fulcrum point in the frame. That said, most FG trailer frames are notoriously lightweight. Over time, they will break down.

RonM and PaulO: Our composite materials engineers — with broad monocoque construction experience from both the aviation and marine industries — assure us that our calculated lay-up schedule will provide the strength and integrity we need. Remember, we employ no chopper gun, old school construction. We're using the latest FG infusion methodologies and materials. Of course, we'll still put it through some very tough testing... Just give us a chance to show it can work!

TerryG: Good point about road debris. Though as you can see, the Nest's windshield sits at a significant slope and quite high, relative to a possible "spray" angle from the tow vehicle. Actually, a greater concern for us is damage to the lower shell body. We're considering "rock guard protection" options — trying to balance functionality and aesthetics.
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Old 10-23-2014, 07:22 PM   #176
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Good for you Robert Johans to consider those concerns. All I can tell you is I purchased a 1988 Scamp in 2001.. that made it 13 years old and it never had any kind of gravel guard (or anything else) to protect the front window. AND, I know my Scamp was towed thousands of miles every year (before I owned it) with ZERO problems to the front plexi window.

I'm betting you'll figure out what works best for the majority of Nest owners. You can't build something that suites 100% of ALL the owners.
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Old 10-23-2014, 08:31 PM   #177
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I think this shell looks nicer than the Snoozy's.
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Old 10-24-2014, 05:24 AM   #178
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It should have more style, well more everything for that matter, it's going to be twice the price.

You could always have an option for a plexiglass shield like you'd get on an Airstream. Theirs is tinted and a fixed positioned thing you remove only to clean.
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Old 10-24-2014, 08:48 AM   #179
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More style? What units is style measured in? I thought it was kinda in the eye of the beholder.

I think it has more details in the shell then any other trailer I have seen.
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Old 10-24-2014, 08:53 AM   #180
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I agree, Dave. This trailer has more style than most, and I think it is a real nice change.
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